TEARS TELL SECRETS
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily this morning
is: “Tears tell Secrets!”
When was the last time you cried?
What was going on?
LITANY
Tears give us information.
Tears tell us about family and
various kinds of relationships.
Tears give us the mood people are
in.
Tears bring out the tissues or the
handkerchiefs.
Tears tell us what we love and what
we value and what is important.
Tears tell us whom we love and whom
we value and who is important in our life.
Tears tell us about our joys and
sorrows.
Tears tell us about our fears and
hopes.
Tears tell us what tears us apart.
Tears tell us what we can laugh
about and what we can cry about.
Tears show up at funerals and
weddings. I was at a funeral yesterday and the son - talking about his dad -
stopped - and started to cry. A daughter had a reading. She began to cry.
Tears tell us that something deep is
going on here. Sometimes we know what it is; sometimes we don’t.
So as we wipe away our tears, bottle
them. Take them to prayer. Then look at them. They will tell us a lot about
ourselves.
Tears tell secrets.
THE GOSPELS
When we read the gospels, we hear
that Jesus cried. However, people seem
to have a thing for trying to find scenes in the gospel where Jesus is laughing
or where anyone is laughing.
I was wondering about this. Is it important to find people enjoying
life—laughing?
Is it important to find others
joyful, happy, laughing, peaceful .
We also spot it, when we see people
sad - mad - and not glad.
I’m sure you have seen a particular painting
or picture of Jesus where he is laughing. It’s a best seller, popular picture
of Jesus. It’s a gift shop best seller.
Today’s gospel has the question:
“Who are you looking for?” “What do people want or need? What are they getting
at? What are they looking for?
Are people looking for emotions,
feelings, affections?
If we can laugh, we can cry. If we
can cry, we can laugh.
So Jesus laughed!
Better, Jesus cried.
Jesus cried and cried and cried.
Everyone does. Read his life. Read your life. Read anyone’s life. Let us listen
to each other’s tears. If we would only shut up. We could hear each other’s
tears falling on the wooden floors of our souls. Let us listen, let us feel,
let us hear our each other’s tears. Let us begin by hearing our own.
Tears tell secrets.
JESUS
Jesus cried over Jerusalem (Luke
19:41). Jesus cried when Lazarus died (John 11:36). In mid-afternoon, hanging
on the cross, Jesus cried out in a loud voice (Matthew 27:46).
TODAY’S GOSPEL
In today’s gospel, Mary cried.
Tears tell secrets. She loved Jesus.
She finally met someone who gave her unconditional love. Jesus was her value system. Jesus was
her life. She finally met someone who
saw her as a person —someone—not something—not a role—not just a sister—not
just one more person on the planet or in the village. She was Mary!
She knew!
She knew Jesus!
She could cry!
She shed tears.
His death was tearing her apart!
Today’s gospel opens with prayer
words, “Mary stood weeping beside the tomb. Even as she wept, she stooped to
peer inside.”
PRAYERS
Prayer is about tears.
Prayer is about getting to our
deepest values—the stuff we can cry about—the stuff we fear—the stuff that we
fear losing.
Then somewhere along the line, we
discover that prayer is about a WHO and not a WHAT.
The what’s and the where’s and the
how’s and the when’s can all be replaced. The WHO’s can’t.
Thank God for resurrection.
Prayer then is about the question
the gardener asks in today’s gospel, “Woman, what are you weeping? Who is it
you are looking for?
Prayer is about responding:
“Rabboni”
Prayer begins with the “Who?”
question before the “What are we praying for?” question
Then we’ll go forth telling each
other with tears of joy, “I have seen the Lord!”
